Summer Safety: Natural First Aid

WebMD Live Events Transcript

Event Date: 07/28/2000.

Did you know that cayenne pepper can stop bleeding? That honey can soothe a
burn? Join herbalist Brigette Mars to discuss time tested remedies for
emergencies of all sorts from injuries and ailments to natural disasters.

The opinions expressed herein are those of the guest's alone. If you have
questions about your health, you should consult your personal physician. This
event is meant for informational purposes only.

Moderator: Hello and welcome to the Women's Health Place on
WebMD Live!

Our guest speaker today is Brigitte Mars, an herbalist and nutritional
consultant from Boulder, Colorado. Brigitte is the author of Natural First
Aid. She has 30 years experience working in the field of natural medicine.
Brigitte teaches herbology at the Rocky Mountain Center for Botanical Studies,
the Boulder College of Massage Therapy, and at Naropa University. She is a
professional member of the American Herbalists Guild.

Brigitte, Welcome to WebMD LIVE, it is a pleasure having you here today.

Mars: Thank you.

Moderator: Brigitte, could you tell our members about your
background and how you got interested in natural medicine and herbology?

Mars: My interest in herbs became strong when I was a
teenager. I went to an
all-girl boarding school and began reading about herbal remedies and
started experimenting with my classmates. No one really liked the nurse that
much, so they used to come to my room and ask me things like, "I just broke
up with my boyfriend and I'm sad. What should I do?" And, "What should
I do for my cramps?" By the time I was 17, I was managing a natural food
store in the Virgin Islands, and studying the local flora of the Caribbean. Went
to college and graduated from Boulder School of Massage Therapy, but lived in a
teepee for two and a half years, eating nothing but
wild edible plants. Being a mother also gave me lots of opportunities
to use herbs to treat numerous childhood consequences.

Moderator: Brigitte, in your opinion, what first aid
techniques should everyone know?

Mars: It seems that anyone who is a parent and works with
children, really everyone should take a CPR (cardiopulmonary
resuscitation) class. My book has instructions on
how to do CPR. You need to learn it not only from a book, but to practice on a
dummy and have your technique critiqued by someone well versed with CPR. But it
seems that having a first aid kit in car, home, and even a mini one in your
backpack or purse would be a good place to start. What to put in the first aid
kit is certainly important. I think of basics like Band Aids, and tweezers to
pull out splinters, and homeopathic arnica, which is used for bruising, sprains,
shock, trauma. Homeopathic arnica you would take orally, and the arnica salve
you would use on unbroken skin. Arnica moves fibrin, which is a protein that
forms at the site of injury. Also it may be good to have lavender essential oil
in your first aid kit. Simply smelling the oil can calm your nerves, help a
person who feels faint, quiet an anxiety attack, and the oil can be applied
directly to burns, infection, a pimple that might be developing. It can be used
as an insect repellant, and has both antiseptic and anti-inflammatory
properties. A bottle of Echinacea tincture is good to use at the first sign of
infection, and can also be applied topically to insect bites, infected wounds,
although it may sting a bit because it has alcohol in it. One other thing to put
in the first aid kit is Rescue Remedy, which is the name of a product available
at health food stores. Two drops go under the tongue. It's for emotional trauma.
It might even be the trauma of seeing an accident, or to give to someone who has
been in an accident. It really calms you down. I've even used it in airplanes
when the person is really afraid to fly. It's good for things like arguments.
Take a break and take two drops of Rescue Remedy, and you will find that it
resolves a lot better.

Moderator: What is in Rescue Remedy?

Mars: It's made from five different flowers. It's a flower
essence, so it's a type of vibrational medicine, much like homeopathy. It has
clematis, which is for the loss of consciousness, far away feeling; there's star
of Bethlehem (flower) for shock; as well as cherry plum for fear. There's two
other remedies in there as well.

One last thing in the first aid kit is an herbal salve. An herbal salve can
be applied to wounds, even broken skin. The purpose is to promote wound healing
and to prevent infection. This is a tiny first aid kit that you could put in a
second wallet size pack. It's a good idea for people to learn to identify plants
that may be growing around them. Very often, for instance, if someone sprains
their ankle, there may be plants right around you that you can use for a
poultice. Herbs like plantain, comfrey leaves, are both good for topical
applications of wounds, sprains, bruises. I'm certainly respectful of the
wonderful first aid medical care available in our modern medical system, but it
seems that we often overly rely on that. A wise person not only knows when to go
to the hospital, but also what to do in an emergency when time is of the
essence.

reallyrosie_webmd: What should be done when someone goes
into shock?

Mars: It's good to recognize the signs of shock, such as
cold, clammy skin, a rapid or faint pulse, irregular breathing weakness and
nausea. Disorientation might also occur. A lot of times we don't realize someone
is in shock. Rough handling of someone who is in shock can worsen the outcome of
how they recover from their injury. Get the person to lie down, and loosen any
clothing that might be constricting such as ties, belts, watches. It's not
essential that people lie on their backs; sometimes people lie in recovery
position so that if they do vomit or have fluid out of their mouth, they won't
choke. It's like lying on the side so fluids can drain out. If they are on the
back, elevate feet eight to 12 inches. This helps conserve energy in the torso.
Slightly elevate the head. But if you suspect any type of neck or spinal injury,
don't elevate anything. Keep the person warm, but just enough to prevent the
loss of body heat. Having a blanket in your car is a good thing to be able to
offer, especially if the blanket is something that you can part with. Reassure
the victim. Speak calmly to them. If you panic, it will make them more
frightened. It could elevate blood pressure. If the person is going to need
surgery, you should not give them anything to drink or eat. If you don't think
it's going to be that sort of illness, the two drops of Rescue Remedy under the
tongue, or arnica, or getting the person to take deep breaths using the lavender
oil. You can make a simple rehydration drink with a half teaspoon of baking soda
and one teaspoon of salt to a quart of water. You may just want to moisten the
lips with this, if drinking is going make them vomit. Quarter-cup doses every 15
minutes would be a wise recommendation. Again, if they're unconscious, certainly
offer nothing to drink, although you could apply Rescue Remedy topically to
their wrist, forehead or neck.

Mars: Heat stroke is the most serious, and can be fatal. With heat
stroke, you should seek medical attention. The signs of heat stroke are the
person loses consciousness would be the extreme, but also headache, dizzy,
disorientated, people wander around acting as if intoxicated. You wonder if
they're drunk, but they could have heat stroke. Heat exhaustion and dehydration
can go along with this, but dehydration is simply being without fluids to the
point the mouth is dry, the body is not urinating, the eyes look sunken, and
dehydration can also be very serious and might occur from lack of fluids, too
much sweating, or a long bout of
diarrhea. The key is to prevent any of these conditions from
happening; Drink plenty of cool water. When it's really hot, I suggest drinking
lemon in water rather than ice water. You can also bathe the victim in cool
water. However, it's best not to get into a cold bath tub because that can shock
the system. It's better to sponge the body areas at a time with a cool cloth. A
good place to apply the cloth is the neck, forehead, and under each armpit. The
rehydration drink that we discussed would also be a good thing to drink. Get
into the shade or indoors, and during the hot summer months, we need to eat a
cooler diet. That means things like salads and fruits. Watermelon and cucumber
are particularly cooling, and also high in natural fluids. Avoid excessive
alcoholic beverages which can be dehydrating, and avoid a diet overly rich in
red meats and fried foods, both of which are heating. It also makes sense to
wear lighter clothes and colors like white, yellow, and cotton clothing. It's
not the time for long black turtlenecks. If you want to wear something long,
that's fine if it's light and cooling. Dark colors even make you feel mentally
hot. Color is a form of energy.

poppylv_webmd: Do you have any suggestions for treating
poison ivy and oak?

Mars: Yes. It's good to learn to identify this plant. I feel
that poison oak or ivy are nature's way of saying, look where you are going. Not
all three leaved plants are bad. Poison oak and ivy are difficult to identify
because they can be a shrub, vine, or single plant. They turn beautiful red
colors in the fall. I once saw it at a Thanksgiving dinner as a centerpiece.
Shower right away and wash your clothes if you touch either ivy. You can get
poison ivy or oak a month later by putting on the same clothes without washing
them. My favorite remedy for poison ivy is called Swedish Bitter Liquid, which
you can find at natural food stores, and is designed to be a natural digest aid,
but works beautifully to dry up poison ivy. Plantain, jewel weed, gum weed, are
all good as well, but the Swedish Bitter Liquid is my favorite. Oatmeal poultice
or baths are good for general itching ailments. Poison oak and ivy are closely
related members of the same family, which includes cashews and mangos. Some
people are really sensitive to mangos. They eat them and get a rash.

latergater_webmd: How much time do you recommend that
someone spend learning about plants before attempting to use natural aids?

Mars: If it's a simple ailment, even just looking something
up in a book and trying it is fine, but if it's a serious condition, you might
want the counsel of someone more experienced. There's no reason why you couldn't
try Echinacea to fight off a cold, but if it's a serious condition like a kidney
infection, you would want to consult with a professional. My answer is simply: It
depends on the severity of the illness. It's great to start learning and using. One of the best ways to learn
is by your own experience. I would like to encourage people not to be fearful of
getting started. But I've been studying for over 30 years, and I still study. I
started using herbs 32 years ago.

reallyrosie_webmd: I just had what I think was a bout of
food poisoning. What suggestions do you have for treating this and what should I
be eating now that I am starting to feel better? I am still pretty weak.

Mars: Food poisoning remedies include a tablespoon of apple
cider vinegar and a tablespoon of honey in warm water taken every couple of
hours. Two charcoal capsules taken every two hours, and they are available at
health food stores. And Umeboshi plum paste, one teaspoon in a cup of water
every couple of hours. All of these remedies will help combat infection, calm
nausea, and help curb the
diarrhea, although vomiting and
diarrhea may be your
body's way of cleaning the offending substance out of your system. You want to
let it happen initially, but enough is enough. Good foods to eat include good
yogurt, miso soup, apple sauce, baked winter squash. It's also a good idea to
take garlic capsules, or echinacea tincture for a few days afterwards to prevent
the replication of any harmful pathogens,

Moderator: Brigitte, in your book you have a great section
on Surviving Nature?s Challenges. Could we talk about this?

Mars: About a year and a half ago, I had a fire in my home.
The information in my natural first aid book kind of rushed before me as I said,
"I am not going to lose my home." And I remembered some basic things.
It seems like a natural reaction would be to open a window if it's really smoky,
but that can fan the flames. I still am really cautious about candles and
incense, leaving lights plugged in. In my case, it was a halogen lamp that was
left on for about four hours. My phone went dead. You may have to go to a
neighbor's house to use the phone to call 911. Keep low in a burning building,
don't use the elevators because the electrical system could fail. Put a wet
cloth over your face, nose and mouth, to prevent smoke inhalation. And if you
have to, if you are trapped, stick something out of the building, or signal that
someone can tell someone is trapped on that floor. People have died from jumping
out of a burning building, or have been totally impaired. If your clothing is on
fire, do not run! Stop, drop and roll is the thing to remember. If you can
be covered, by blanket or carpet, roll in that. But don't run. It makes flames
bigger. Beat flames downward away from the head. You can use liquids to douse a
fire, including water, but also milk or soda, but never alcohol, because that
will make flames bigger.

Moderator: Let's talk about lightening.

Mars: Never stand under an oak tree. They are the most
likely to get hit. Avoid tall trees, or lone boulders, or being right outside
something tall, because lightening will often hit the highest area. Don't linger
in the mouth of a cave, but get deep inside. If you do have to seek shelter
among trees, get into a large stand and crouch as low as possible. Stay away
from metal objects such as fences and bridges. People describe feeling
electricity in the air, such as the feeling of your hair standing on end. Take
off any metal jewelry or belts that you are wearing. Get out of the water, if
you are swimming or boating. Be careful about using electrical appliances.
Lightening has entered telephone wires.

A couple of things on earthquakes. If you are indoors, get shelter under
something, heavy furniture, tables, standing under a door frame is usually the
strongest part of the building,. It seems to be a natural tendency to go
outside, but you need to realize that street wires or buildings can fall, or get
hit by falling debris. I can understand why people do go outside, our greatest
fear is being trapped in a building. The official information is to not run
outdoors, but you need to weigh all of that out. If you feel that you could run
outdoors and get away quickly, I'm not going to tell you not to do that. If you
are outside, stay there, but get away from anything that might collapse. If you
were in a basement or tunnel or subway, then it seems to be worth trying to get
outdoors After the earthquake, be aware that opening cupboards, things can fall
on you. Don't smoke or light a match, it may be wise to turn off gas, water and
electricity, especially if it's been a hard earthquake, or you are told by the
authorities My daughter lives in LA, and I've told her to have a bag packed
under her bed that has dried food, whistle, water. You can whistle for help a
lot longer than to call for help. If you do have to run outside, or go outside
after an earthquake, good shoes are very important. If there is debris and
broken glass, if your feet are cut up, you are not going far. Think about having
an extra pair of shoes by the door, in your car, in your survival bag, because
if your feet get cut up, it will limit your chances for survival. Be prepared.
The time to think about first aid is before you are in a crisis.

Moderator: Brigitte, thank you for joining us, it has really
been a pleasure having you on WebMD Live. Members, thank you for your questions.
Brigitte Mars' book, Natural First Aid is available now at your local or
online bookstore. Please check out her web site at http://www.indra.com/brigitte/brigitte.htm.

The opinions expressed herein are those of the guest's alone. If you have
questions about your health, you should consult your personal physician. This
event is meant for informational purposes only.